Jefferson Parish Emergency Management Establishes Unified Command Post
May 10, 2010
The latest trajectory from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the oil slick produced by the Deepwater Horizon spill will move west of the Mississippi River and dangerously close to coastal areas by Tuesday morning.
In response to this threat, Jefferson Parish Emergency Management (JPEM) has established a unified command post and base camp on Grand Isle. The Unified Command contains commanders from JPEM, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO), LA National Guard, United States Coast Guard, Grand Isle Fire Department, British Petroleum (BP) and its contractors, and the Town of Grand Isle.
The four main passes surrounding Grand Isle (Four Bayous, Coup Abel, Barataria and Caminada) have been protected with deflective boom and skimming barges. A three hundred yard safety zone has been established around each boomed area. No unauthorized boat traffic will be allowed for any purpose in the boomed areas. JPSO marine patrols will strictly enforce this safety zone.
Recreational and Commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico has been closed from the mouth of the Mississippi River west to Freshwater Bayou. This closure includes all coastal areas of Jefferson Parish only in the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing in the interior marshes remains open.
No oil has washed ashore on the Grand Isle and the beaches remain clean and open for recreational use at this time.
For more information, please contact Deano Bonano, Chief of Homeland Security at 504-736-6435. For important telephone numbers regarding the cleanup efforts of BP, log onto http://www.jeffparish.net.
